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Macron in India

Express View on Macron in India: Building on trust

President Emmanuel Macron’s two-day visit — he was chief guest at the country’s 75th Republic Day function — has reinforced France’s special place in India’s strategic-calculus . The partnership underlined during PM Modi’s visit last year to France, is built on three pillars — deepening cooperation in defence, sustained engagement in global issues, especially in emerging and green technologies, and people-to-people contact. These have emerged stronger after Modi-Macron talks in the past two days.

The two countries have adopted a roadmap for defence industrial production. This cooperation aims to create supply chains that fulfil Delhi’s security needs and provide it with the necessary bandwidth to negotiate partnerships with other countries. The pacts on clean energy and technology take forward the engagement begun on the sidelines of the Paris Climate Pact in 2015 — the International Solar Alliance, an expanding club of nations, is amongst the most tangible outcomes of this collaboration.

In 2021, the two signed a memorandum on green hydrogen, which aims “to bring the French and Indian hydrogen ecosystems together.” Macron’s reiteration of his last year’s commitment to increase the number of students studying in France to 30,000 and give them attractive post-study work visas will also go down well in a country undergoing an educational churn . The Alliance Francaise network will also be strengthened — this will be particularly welcomed by Indian students who often find language a barrier in accessing French higher education institutes, 35 of which find place in the QS ratings.

In recent years, India has inched closer to Washington. France, too, acknowledges the US’s place in the global order. At the same time, the traditional importance that Paris attaches to its strategic autonomy vis-a-vis Washington has earned Delhi’s trust, especially after the French government refused to toe the dominant Western line after India’s nuclear tests in 1998. France recognised India’s strategic importance at a time when other Western powers turned their back on it. In 2019, France blocked China from raising the Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council after the abrogation of Article 370. French domestic procedures on defence deals have made the country a reliable defence partner. While pacts with the US are dogged by unpredictability due to Congressional interventions and export control regimes , French deals have no such strings attached .

Modi and Macron also exchanged perspectives on Gaza, Red Sea turmoil and conflict in Ukraine. In recent months, it has become clear that peace in these theatres of conflict will require a multi-pronged effort. The Red Sea is a significant conduit for Indo-European trade and the frailties of a US-led defence against the Houthi attacks are already evident . With Trump’s return to the White House becoming imminent , fears that the US will be a less engaged player on the global stage may not be unfounded . Indo-French collaboration could be among the keys to ensuring stability in a complex geopolitical environment.

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Reinforce (verb) – Strengthen, bolster, fortify, enhance, consolidate

मजबूत करना

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Strategic (adjective) – Calculated, planned, tactical, deliberate, intentional

रणनीतिक

Calculus (noun) – Calculation, computation, reckoning, estimation

गणना

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Underline (verb) – Emphasize, highlight, underscore, stress, accentuate

रेखांकित करना

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Deepening (adjective) – Intensifying, enhancing, strengthening, augmenting, enriching

गहराई बढ़ाना

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Sustained (adjective) – Continuous, ongoing, constant, prolonged, uninterrupted

निरंतर

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Engagement (noun) – Involvement, participation, commitment, interaction

सहभागिता

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Roadmap (noun) – Plan, strategy, guideline, blueprint, scheme

योजना

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Bandwidth (noun) – Capacity, scope, range, breadth, capability

क्षमता

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Negotiate (verb) – Bargain, discuss, settle, arrange, broker

तय करना

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On the sidelines of (phrase) – In the context of, during, alongside, in conjunction with

के मौके पर

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Tangible (adjective) – Palpable, perceptible, concrete, noticeable, solid, substantial

प्रत्यक्ष

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Outcome (noun) – Result, consequence, effect, upshot, fruition

परिणाम

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Reiteration (noun) – Repetition, restatement, reassertion, recapitulation

पुनरावृत्ति

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Commitment (noun) – Dedication, devotion, allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness

प्रतिबद्धता

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Go down in (phrase) – Be remembered, be recorded, be memorialized

में दर्ज होना

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Undergo (verb) – Experience, endure, face, go through, suffer

से गुजरना

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Churn (noun) – Turbulence, agitation, upheaval, disturbance, disorder

हलचल

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Strengthen (verb) – Reinforce, fortify, bolster, enhance, consolidate

मजबूत करना

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Often (adverb) – Frequently, regularly, commonly, usually, typically

अक्सर

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Barrier (noun) – Obstacle, hurdle, impediment, block, barrier

बाधा

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Inch closer to (phrase) – Approach, near, move towards, advance towards

के करीब पहुँचना

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Acknowledge (verb) – Recognize, admit, accept, concede, note

स्वीकार करना

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Autonomy (noun) – Independence, self-government, freedom, sovereignty

स्वायत्तता

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Vis-à-vis (preposition) – In relation to, with regard to, concerning, regarding

के संबंध में

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Turn one’s back on (phrase) – Reject, abandon, forsake, desert, shun

का साथ छोड़ना

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Abrogation (noun) – Repeal, revocation, rescinding, cancellation, annulment

रद्द करना

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Pact (noun) – Agreement, treaty, accord, deal, contract

समझौता

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Dog (verb) – Hound, pursue, plague, haunt, afflict

सताना, कष्ट देना

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Unpredictability (noun) – Uncertainty, variability, changeability, volatility, instability

अनिश्चितता

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Regime (noun) – System, order, structure, framework, regime

व्यवस्था

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Strings attached (phrase) – Conditions, stipulations, requirements, provisions, prerequisites

शर्तों के साथ

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Perspective (noun) – Viewpoint, standpoint, position, stance, approach

दृष्टिकोण

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Turmoil (noun) – Disorder, upheaval, tumult, chaos, disturbance

हलचल

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Theatre (noun) – Arena, stage, field, domain, sphere

क्षेत्र

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Multipronged (adjective) – Multifaceted, varied, diversified, manifold, multiple

बहुआयामी

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Conduit (noun) – Channel, duct, pipe, tube, passage

माध्यम

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Frailty (noun) – Weakness, fragility, delicacy, vulnerability, infirmity

दुर्बलता

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Evident (adjective) – Obvious, apparent, manifest, clear, plain

स्पष्ट

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Imminent (adjective) – Approaching, near, forthcoming, upcoming, impending

आसन्न

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Unfounded (adjective) – Baseless, groundless, unfounded, unsubstantiated, unproven

निराधार

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Stability (noun) – Firmness, solidity, steadiness, durability, constancy

स्थिरता

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Geopolitical (adjective) – Relating to politics, especially international relations, as influenced by geographical factors

भू-राजनीतिक

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Toes the line (phrase) – accept the authority, policies, or principles of a particular group, especially unwillingly.

मानना